I received “Star” June 2nd and papa and I went to town to get him. We had him in the wagon box in the crate and took him home with the oxen, which you will see in the picture.
“Star” is a pretty, brown Shetland pony, three years old and forty-one inches tall and very cute. So many told me when I told them that I was trying to win a Shetland pony by getting subscribers for the paper that I would get a picture of a pony and buggy and some thought that I would not get anything, but they all think different now. There have been so many here to see my rig and they all think it the cutest in the neighborhood. My friends say they will also try to get a rig like mine if the Webb Publishing Company has any more contests.
I have my pony tied with a long rope down on our meadow so he gets lots of green grass and has gained quite a little since I got him. “Star” likes me when I go up to him. He will rub his nose on my face to kiss me. He will also shake hands. I just wish you could see all the cute tricks he can do. I can get “Star” to go on a big box and he will stand so still and look at me. So many have asked me how much I would take for my rig, but it would be too lonesome without the pony now, and I can have more fun with the pony than I could with the money.
“Star” just loves a dish of strawberries and also likes oats and sugar.
My folks think my rig the best present I could have gotten and don’t know when I ever would have owned a pony of my own if it had not been for the Webb Publishing Company of St. Paul.
When my friends come, we hitch up “Star” and go out driving and they all think it lots of fun. One Sunday when quite a few of my friends were here, we took “Star” on top of an old straw stack and had our pictures taken.
He is not afraid of automobiles and will go right up and look at them.
So many say they cannot understand how the Webb Publishing Company can give away so much for so little work but they do and every child ought to try for one because they are the best ponies that children could have.
One day my friends and sisters were going out to pick strawberries and we had our lunches with us and “Star” took a good load of us there and he seemed to enjoy it as much as any of us and ate almost as many strawberries as any of us did.
Again I thank you for “Star” and all you sent me.
By Clarence Grover, Polk Co., Minnesota
[From 1907 to 1918, the Webb Publishing Company hired children to sell subscriptions to The Farmer’s Wife magazine. Some of these children, due to their exceptional salespersonship, were awarded the grand prize. The grand prize was a Shetland pony, along with a saddle and bridle.]
Farmer’S Wife Pony Club. (1915)
Lucky Pony Winners. St. Paul, Minn., Webb publishing co. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/15018654/.